The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies I've Ever Made

You guys, I love chocolate chip cookies. I don't know what it is about them. They are so simple but so delicious. People like them different ways, I understand, but I seriously think these are the best. They are soft, but firm, chewy, chocolatey and sooooo good!

I have been on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie for years. I have tried many different recipes but this one is a keeper! I found this recipe on Lil' Luna. I have tried several of her recipes and they are all great! Go check her out!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies I've Ever Made
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, soft (I always use salted butter, unless specified)
• 1 cup brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (I used vegetable oil)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 2+ cups chocolate chips (I always use milk chocolate but I know most people like semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In stand mixer cream butter, sugars and oil until fluffy. Mix in eggs. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla and flour. Once it's all combine mix in chocolate chips. I used a cookie scoop and placed my cookies on cookie sheet lined with a silpat (I love my silpat, I use it for everything!). I put 12 on each sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Check them at 7 minutes. If they look way to light then leave them in for another minutes. But don't over bake them because then they will be crunchy. The bottoms should be slightly darker than the tops of the cookies. Leave them in the pan for a minute to set up a little bit, they are super soft when they come out of the oven. After a minute or two transfer them to a wire rack and let them continue to set up. 

I don't know about you but I have to try my cookies during many different stages. I first try the cookie dough (multiple times), then I try them a minute or so after they come out of the oven. Then after a little while I try them again when they are still warm. Usually this is my favorite cookie stage so I eat about a dozen of them. Then after an hour or so I try them when they are completely cooled off. Mmmm... cookies! 

Please, if you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe that I should try just leave a comment with the link! 

Pork Chops with Apple Celery Relish

Who doesn't love a good pork chop recipe?! Well, I've got a semi-fancy one for ya that won't take too long.

I apologize in advance but photography isn't my "thing."

 I try to take pretty pictures but usually it just looks like food.  

So don't judge the recipe based on my pictures!

Pork Chops with Apple Celery Relish
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped up
• 2 celery stalks, chopped up
• 1 apple, chopped; granny smith would work well (you want an apple that isn't too sweet)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped up
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 4 Pork Chops

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium heated pan. Cook onion, celery, apple and carrots for a couple minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are tender but still have a slight crispness to them. Season to taste. Remove from heat but keep them covered until you are ready to serve. 

Meanwhile as the veggies are cooking, season pork chops with salt and pepper. In a different pan add a tablespoon of oil to it. Once the pan is on medium heat add pork chops. Make sure to get a good sear on them. Once they are browned on one side go ahead and flip them over. It shouldn't take too long for them to cook. If you have a meat thermometer the pork chop should read in at 145 degrees F.

Once your meat is done, let it rest for 3 minutes.

Serve pork chops topped with apple, celery relish and a delicious side dish. I made balsamic green beans with red onions, which are delicious! Ever tried balsamic vinegar and green beans? Yum! Try them!

Variation: Stuffed Pork Chops

If you feel like being really fancy buy 1 inch thick pork chops and butterfly them, then stuff the relish inside the chops. "Pin" with toothpicks. Sear both sides of the chops, then finish them off in the oven. That's yummy too!

3 Ways to Use Fold Over Elastic

This weekend I am going to a baby shower, and I always try to give gifts that new mom's might not think of, like baby Tylenol, nursing pads, saline, you know the stuff that is needed but you forget about it until you REALLY need it.  I also like to give something fun as well, and fold over elastic (FOE) can make the best little headbands for baby and hair-ties for mom, and they're super easy and affordable!

What you need:

• FOE (fold over elastic)
• scissors
• lighter
• hot glue gun

I use FOE with a width of 5/8 but you can use 3/8 or whatever you find! FOE can be found on etsy, craft stores, or several different websites.  Prices can vary greatly, I noticed at my local craft store that it costs $1.99 for one pre-cut yard, and my favorite website it's only $0.30 per yard and you choose how many yards you want.
Here are a few websites where I've found some cheap prices for FOE, they both have different colors and patterns to choose from so just browse and pick your favorites! -PamperedPrincessPretties -SunshineShoppeSupply -ElasticByTheYard
 
Ok, let's get started!


Option 1:

• Cut your FOE to 11 inches
• Fold in half with the shiny side of the elastic facing out
• Tie a knot at the end leaving about half an inch sticking out the end
• Use a lighter to finish the edges by holding the lighter still and running the elastic through the flame quickly one or two times

 

 Option 2:

There are different measurements for headbands based on age, but I make mine 14 inches.  The great thing about FOE is that it stretches comfortably and will fit my two month old, or my almost 3 year old (I should try it to see if it fits me or not).  Here are different headband lengths if you'd like to follow by age: Newborn ~ 12"      0-6 months~ 13"     6-12 months~14"     12-18 months ~15"      18-24 months ~16"

• Cut two pieces of FOE, one at 14 inches and one at 1 3/4 inches
• Use a lighter to finish the edges of all pieces by holding the lighter still and running the elastic through the flame quickly one or two times 
•  Make a big loop with your 14" piece with the shiny side of the elastic facing out and glue it together
• Take your 1.75" piece and glue it to the back side of the headband where the seam is
• Loop the piece around the headband and glue the end of it down, making sure it's on the back of the headband
• Now you can clip any flower or bow to the loop!

Option 3:

• Cut three pieces of FOE, one at 14 inches, one at 4 inches, and one at 1 3/4 inches
• Use a lighter to finish the edges of all pieces by holding the lighter still and running the elastic through the flame quickly one or two times 
•  Make a big loop with your 14" piece with the shiny side of the elastic facing out and glue it together
• Create a second loop with the 4" piece
• Glue the seams of small loop to the outside seam of big loop
• Take your 1.75" piece and glue it to the back side of the headband where the seam is
• Loop the piece around the headband and glue the end of it down, making sure it's on the back of the headband

I was able to make all three of these in about 5 minutes!  Super fun and easy!  I have plenty of elastic left to make so many more for baby shower gifts and my own girls.  My kids are going to look adorable!

I hope you have fun making your own accessories using fold over elastic!

-Kayla

Life with More Bliss

Ok, I set myself up on this blog as the one to post about fitness, but here I am to show you that I am well rounded! Here is my first parenting post.

     When I was growing up, I wanted nothing more than to be a mom. I had baby dolls coming out of every nook and cranny, and all of the supplies to go with it. I secretly loved when my friends' younger siblings cried, because I loved to cuddle them back to smiles. 

     When I became a mom, I was sure that I would be the best mom that ever existed.  I had a wonderful mom who supported, loved, snuggled, and loved me some more. She was a good example of how to be a nurturer. So, I figured I would only improve on that already great foundation of motherhood. 

     I soon learned that I was the most patient, loving mom ever! My wee babe grew and grew, and I continued to prove myself right: I was the best! I never yelled, I never spanked. I never really needed to, because wouldn't you know? My child just happened to be the sweetest baby/toddler in the world, too! How convenient. All joking aside, I litterally surprised myself daily by the extreme amount of patience I possessed. I was so excited that I was going to be the only mom in the history of moms that never yelled at her children!

Enter baby number two...

     I soon found myself stretched more than I could have ever imagined. My exhausted body wanted nothing more than uninterrupted sleep, so asking me to read or help get a bowl of cereal was way more than could have been expected of me. My sweet, angel of a two-almost-three-year-old drastically changed...overnight, so it seemed. She was so demanding and began wearing down my patience. I mean, come on! Get your own dang quesadilla! I began *ahem* yelling. It wasn't my fault! The child drove me to it! I couldn't control myself. Never mind that I could go from cooing and oohing in my baby's face, to yelling my at my oldest, and back to cooing in a matter of seconds. That had nothing to do with my self control. *sigh* (Did you read that in the sarcastic, fececious tone with which I meant it? I hope so!) 

     I quickly learned that I was NOT the most patient mother in the world. Caring? Yes. Loving? Absolutely. Patient? Not even close. It quickly spiraled out of control to the point that I felt that no one, not even my sweet husband, would respond to me unless I yelled. I felt this way for a long time. The whole dynamic of our family changed from warm and kind to demeaning and cold. I had tried to change many times, but it seemed hopeless. I felt like nothing ever worked for me. That I was too far gone. That I had already ruined my children. I have been known to admit to my husband and close friends that I wasn't enjoying being a mom. That the good moments were so rare, I couldn't even use them to buoy me up  during the rough ones. I was seriously feeling miserable. (I hope you all realize that this is very hard for me to admit, but admitting brings about realizations, which brings about change.)

     One day, just recently, I was finally pushed to realize and change my bad behaviors FOR GOOD when my sweet 4 year old said to me, "Mommy, will you be a nice mommy today? I don't like it when you are mean. It scares me." What? I scare my child? That was not the mom I was supposed to be! And then, on a separate occasion, not long after, my sweet girl was carrying her baby, pretending it was crying, and instead of shushing and loving that dolly, she yelled at it. I cried. And cried. And cried. I told my child that I was a bad mom. That she deserved better. I finally realized that it was not anyone else's fault and that I absolutely could control the way I reacted to everything, and that I HAD TO.

pinterest.com

     I decided to put into action all of the things I had been reading concerning yelling and how to stop. I actually read a lot off the Orange Rhino website (I highly recommend it). She gives so many strategies to use rather than yelling. I also have prayed and prayed for the ability to exercise more patience and love when disciplining my children, but instead of feeling like it should just come naturally, and if it doesn't it isn't my fault, I have made the conscious effort to be patient and loving. I am pleased to announce that today, January 21, 2015 is day three (in a row) without a single yell coming from my mouth. *the angels rejoice!* These have been probably the three most blissful days of my I-have-two-children life! No one else has really changed. My kids still make messes, they still argue, and refuse to share, and scream when they don't get what they want (mainly my 1 1/2 year old), but I have changed the way I react to the situation. 

     Rather than yell a sharp "HEY!" at the initial sound of a scuffle (which leads to more yelling), I quietly take care of it with love and calmness. 
     When my 4-year old whines and cried and keeps begging for the thing I refused her earlier, I whisper; quieter and quieter each time until she can barely hear me. And a miraculous thing occurs: she stops whining and crying and begging and says, "ok mommy" just like she used to, but I never had to raise my voice, and there are a lot less tears. 
     I am constantly reminding my child (secretly for myself) that Heavenly Father and Jesus are watching and would not want us to yell and scream. 
     Rather than yell at her to clean up her toys a million times, I simply help her, even though I didn't make the mess (which is what I used to yell at her when she asked me to help after being told a million times to clean up). Or, I just clean up without asking for her to join me, and she always joins. {Side note: I think of it now as a service I am rendering to my children, rather than a pain in my butt and just one more thing to do. Much like when I put away my husband's clean clothes or cook dinner without even thinking about it, I am here to serve my family. This is the season of my life right now. And through my service, I will teach my children to do the same.}
     We have giggled and tickled more in the last three days than in the last several months combined. It amazes me what three days of kindness can do to a family dynamic. I am so grateful that I have began making these changes. I am sure, no, positive that moments will still come when I will fail. But, I am now praying that those moments become less and less common as the days go on and that my sweet children will remember a kind, calm, loving mom, even when disciplining. I look forward to the positive, wonderful experiences of mothering being so strong and common in my life, that they can buoy me up when times are rough; because, let's be honest: being a mom is hard. And in just three days, I can honestly say that I am loving being a mom.

My daughter now says, "We never yell, unless we are hurt or the house is on fire." It makes my heart smile. 

Posted by Jessica 

Library Book Realization

So this isn’t a “how-to” or even a creative post, it’s just a “this is my life” post.

I’ve been a mom of one child for two and a half years and I’m pretty used to it, but I’ve only been a mom of two kids for seven and a half weeks.  Life has been interesting lately, and it takes a lot to get used to having two kids. I feel like I’m constantly busy, and at the end of the day not much has been accomplished, besides feeding my baby.  Most days feel like this:

There are the occasional days that I actually have things planned and we’re out the door and productive, but not perfect.  When I took my newborn to her 3-day  checkup with the pediatrician I took her diaper off to put her on the scale, and threw it away because she had pooped, go back in to the room and realize I didn’t have a diaper for her, or wipes….or ANYTHING! I had left the diaper bag in house by the door.  Luckily while waiting for the doctor she didn’t pee (or poop!), and they have diapers for patients when things like this happen.  Needless to say, I learned from that mistake and now have diapers and wipes in the cubbies in the door for both of my girls.

Evenings are the most difficult part of the day. My baby has colic that starts when I need to cook dinner and lasts long past my desired bedtime.  Putting a two year old to bed while your infant is crying is quite the challenge.  Luckily my husband has been on a break from school for the holidays, and now that he’s started up again with school he has the ability to be home for bedtime.  I don’t know how I would do it without him!

I constantly feel tired and like I need a nap, but when I’m given an opportunity to nap I can’t sleep…I could live without that irony. I was texting my mom the other night while I was awkwardly sitting in bed with the baby sleeping in my lap, not daring to move out of fear of waking her.  I had sent a selfie of the two of us to my mom, where her reply mentioned how I looked really tired and how she was sorry I was up so late every night.  I decided that as moms we must have a super power to be able to survive the next day.  That’s got to be it, we are SUPERMOMS!

Last night somewhere in the middle of the night while feeding my baby, I was looking through my instagram account and smiling at the cute pictures of my kids.  I came across a video of my toddler going through a library book that we had read numerous times, and she was “reading” it all by herself.  One of my favorite things is that she LOVES books.  We love to go to story time at the library, then pick out new books to bring home.  We had done that about a week before my sweet baby was born and we ended up returning the books and not getting new ones for a few weeks.  I realized that there were books we had returned that I hadn’t even opened.  My toddler had flipped through them, but I didn’t get a chance to read them to her.  This morning when I heard her wake up rather than going in to the living room, turning on PBS and opting for more sleep, I sat on the couch with her, pulled over her tub of library books, and read them all with her.  We made animal noises, tickled each other, counted, and had a blast.

Not a flattering picture, but it's proof we had time for just the two of us.

I realized that I’m going through the motions, and things seem to be business all day.  I feel like I’m constantly saying, “not right now; please stop; in a minute; let’s do something else ”.  There are good times each day, like when my baby looks in my eyes and smiles a little, and when my toddler says “I want to sit err(your) lap mom” and I have room for her because I’m not feeding the baby, but I want more of those moments.  I have decided to take more time to make those moments.  More moments of one-on-one time with my girls.  More time doing the things my toddler wants to do, instead of just turning on the TV so I can get things done.  More laughter, more dancing, and more fun.
I know things will get better with the colic, and feeding will be less frequent, and I’ll be able to shower more often, but until then I’m choosing to take the times in between to remember to make more moments and not just let time pass.

My Story

For my first post, I just want to explain about my journey and how I have made the changes necessary to feel the way I have always wanted to feel. In later posts, I will share specifics. 

     I am 4'11". I was a dancer in high school, so I was very active and fit. I didn't worry about what I ate, because I was young, active, and just didn't care! When I went to college, I continued eating the same way I always had in high school, but exercise was no longer a part of the picture. Not because I didn't want it to be, but because I wasn't very educated on what I could do. I just wanted to dance, and if that wasn't an option, I didn't want to do anything. Little by little, I began gaining weight, easily putting on that cliche "freshman 15". I finally began doing a little more about it, running consistently, but never more than a mile or so, and certainly not very fast. I would do really well for a while and then fall off the wagon. This repeated over and over for years. At my highest pre-marriage weight, I was 150. On a girl my size, that is a lot. In 2007 I left to serve an LDS mission in Peru for 18 months. I started out at 150 and over the course of my mission, with all of the walking (upwards of 15 miles a day sometimes!) and eating lots and lots of fresh veggies and unprocessed food, I came home at 125! Actually, I remember weighing myself the day after I returned home and it said 123! I was so happy! I felt so good and tiny and confident!

      Just before flying home from Peru 2009

     Shortly after returning home (ok, 3 days after) I met my husband and we began dating, and I began getting back into "normal" bad eating habits. When I was married 3 months later in 2009, I weighed 130 and it only went up. In the first 6 months of wedded bliss I gained 20 pounds and was back up to 150, a number I would feel trapped by for years. I started running again and actually ran my first 5k. We soon had our first baby, in late 2010. I had a perfectly healthy pregnancy and only gained a total of 10 pounds. I was back to 150-154 shortly after and stayed there. When my baby was a year old, I really got back in to running and started learning more here and there. But, my running was never coupled with healthy eating. I still had no idea how to do that. I cooked often, but it was always lots and lots of processed foods. That is all I knew.

   My wedding day June 2009

     I ran more and more and did my first 10k in 2012. After that, I got pregnant with our second. It was another healthy pregnancy, with little weight gain, delivering at about 165 lbs. However, after having Maddi in 2013, I was so determined to get healthy and get back to running. As soon as 6 weeks was up, I was out running! I would push my babes in my awesome jogging stroller and it was great. I would also go running every day after dinner all by myself. It was my "me" time. I began getting faster and seeing improvements. I signed up for my first 1/2 marathon in January of 2014 and committed to do my best. I was worried though, that I would never look like a runner. I had still never figured out my eating and could not break out of the 150s.
   It wasn't until February of 2014 that healthy eating finally clicked. I spoke with my sister-in-law, who is a fitness guru, and she laid it out for me so simply. She introduced me to the paleo diet. (She is not paleo and neither am I, this is just what helped me understand food and our bodies.) She explained to me fats, carbs, and protein and gave me simple meals to eat each day. I had a list of about 6 things to rotate between and it was surprisingly easy! I ate perfectly clean for 7 days and lost 3 lbs. The following week I began doing "Southern Utah Bootcamp" with a great friend of mine with whom I had been running. Through bootcamp for 4 weeks, I was awesome with my eating. I was a stay at home mom and had time to cook clean, simple (sometimes fancy) meals for my family! I could not believe how the weight started coming off. In 4 weeks I lost 11 lbs and 18 inches, and dropped a full pant size, plus some. The pants (9/10) were loose on me. I had FINALLY found my recipe for a healthy lifestyle: eat clean and exercise. I fell in love with the high intensity interval training (HIIT), which was most of our bootcamp. I learned so many other exercises, proper form, etc, and my eating was on point. I really began training for my half when bootcamp was over, cross training with HIIT amidst my running. I had an amazing workout bestie who helped me stay accountable and consistent with 5am gym attendance! I was down to 143 at my smallest. I was fit. I could out push-up my husband. It was the perfect situation. I had an amazing routine. Nothing could stop me.

     And then, we moved. Two weeks after I ran my 1/2 in September 2014, we uprooted our little family and moved to the big city, away from my gym, my bestie, my routine, my running routes, and my comfort zone. I also immediately had to start working out of the home again. My fitness "life" crashed down and I was miserable. I was happy we had moved, and knew it was right, but inside I felt so sad. My eating went down the toilet, I began cooking processed foods, drinking soda, eating treats daily, sitting on my butt, and making excuse after excuse. I felt like the only reason I was so successful was because I had my best friend. Because I was a stay-at-home mom. Because I had the money to go to the gym. I was gaining weight faster than you could say, "do you want fries with that?"! My size 9/10 pants were so tight, I had to use the old rubber band to do my pants up, because they wouldn't button.

      My first Half Marathon Sept 2014

     It wasn't until we had two weeks off for Christmas and New Year's that I finally picked myself back up. I had purchased a new gym membership over Thanksgiving with the black Friday deal, but had only gone twice. Over my break, I went to the gym a lot. I had my husband home to watch the kids and I could go whenever I got up in the morning. I started cooking better meals because I had the time. And then, a crazy thing happened: I started feeling amazing! I wanted to keep working out harder. I craved good, clean food. I started to realize that it was ME who worked her butt off all year. I got myself to the gym at 5am. I controlled what I put in my mouth. I decided what food to keep in my pantry. I KNEW HOW TO BE HEALTHY. No one else did it for me. For some reason, I had completely lost sight of that. I had the knowledge I needed to be successful and it had been tried and tested as well! It all started coming back to me and now I am so excited and feeling so great! I can't wait to break back out of the 150s. That number is not a jail to me anymore. I know how to open the door! But, the clincher is that I have to do it. I have to get myself to the gym. I have to control what I put in my mouth. I have no more excuses. 

             12/29/2014 to 1/3/2015!! 

     All along, I have just wanted to be my best self so that my sweet girls will have someone to look up to. I know how to be that mom! But most importantly, I believe, I am doing it for ME. So that I can be the person I know I can be...the person I know that Heavenly Father knows I can be. So, I am also doing it for my Father in Heaven. He knows me and helps me. I am trying to be more  diligent in my prayers to Him; to ask Him to give me the strength I lack to be able to get up in the morning and do what I need to do to be the best me I can be. I know that He loves me and will help me. If something is important to us, it is important to Him. 

Meet the Besties

Welcome to our page! We met in 2009 while taking education classes at Southern Utah University. We became very close, very quickly, and have been the best of friends ever since. We all graduated together with our bachelors degrees in Elementary Education in May of 2012. Through crafting, cooking, pregnancies, and other adventures, we have gained a love and respect for each other. We have supported each other through babies, financial struggles, spiritual questions, and moves. The sister-hood we have with each other is precious! We each have strong testimonies of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and our divine, God-given roles as wives and mothers. This blog is a way for us to share our talents, abilities, ideas, advice, and beliefs with a larger audience.

Our yearly get together July 2014

Jessica: I am 29 years old (the self-proclaimed 'grandma' of the group!) and have been married for 5 1/2 years. We have two little girls (ages 4 and 1 1/2) and I am a fitness-guru-wannabe! I love to workout and eat healthy, though neither comes without its struggles! I in no way claim to be a professional on any subject, I just love to learn and apply. I love running and high intensity interval training (HIIT).  I ran my first half-marathon in September of 2014 and am signed up for another in 2015! I work away from home part-time and am learning to live a healthy lifestyle regardless of my situation. I love music, trying new recipes, organizing (though I have a lot of work to do!), and making people laugh and smile. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know it. I live it. I love it. This year I am going to work on making my relationship with Christ be intertwined with everything I do (fitness and all). I hope I can help inspire even just one person through this blog.

photo cred: Nicole Christiansen Photography

Andrea: Hi friends! I am a proud Mormon (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), wife to an amazing, hard working man, and mommy to 2 wonderful kids. My daughter is almost 3 and my son is 7 months old. I have always loved to cook and eat, so food and recipes will be my main contribution to our blog. Growing up in a Cuban family, get-togethers were not complete without a lot of food. I loved it! I have a passion for healthy and delicious meals and I'm excited to share that with you. I also have a weakness for treats so you'll get some of that as well! I have always wanted to start a food blog but I have been hesitant. With the 3 of us together it is a perfect way to get all of our interests in one place and do it together. 

Photo cred: Rachel Angela Photography

Kayla:  Hey! I'm a mama of two beautiful girls, a two year old and a newborn.  They pretty much rule my life right now.  My husband is in pharmacy school, which is a blessing as well as a struggle, since he's at school most of the day, but we're surviving. We are survivors! I love to spend time creating with my daughter and I hope to do a better job of following through with my ideas for fun this year.  I also have developed a new talent and love of digital scrapbooking. It is such a fun way to put all the pictures I take of my girls to use. I'll be the first to admit that I am a camera mom, it's always out and ready to snap those memories!  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and because of that I am a better wife, mom, and person, and am always striving to become better.

 Photo cred: Natalie Doxey Photography